5 Ways You Can Hold All the Aces When You Video Interview

Video interviews are gaining popularity because they save an enormous amount of time and money for companies and job seekers alike. A study of 506 organizations by the Aberdeen Group revealed that 52 percent of companies are utilizing video-enabled applications to conduct their interviews already. That number will only continue to rise in the future. Soon it will become the mainstream form of interviewing candidates, so as a job seeker, you should get comfortable with it like, yesterday. Here are five steps you can take that will give you a leg up on acing the interview and winning the job!

Highlight your experience and abilities that are directly needed for the position. Make sure to read through exactly what they are looking for in the job posting and use their keywords to address each skill they are looking for one by one. Talk about your achievements in other positions to correlate how you could use that in the new position if given the chance.

Be sure to set the stage properly. Your surroundings are a reflection of you, so showcase the environment that you want them to see, and set it up to be quiet. Arrange childcare if necessary. Pay close attention to your background. Try to sit in front of a plain wall without family photos, posters, or other distractions in the shot. If you are recording the interview for the employer to view later, learn how to re-record certain parts to get the best outcome. And lastly, and most importantly, remember to dress for the interview just as you would in person. Sunglasses do not count as an accessory folks!

Be enthusiastic, positive, and likeable. You don't want to appear too serious or too relaxed. Be prepared to show that you are smart, witty, and easy to get along with. You can illustrate your down-to-earth persona by explaining how great you have gotten along with co-workers and achieved success on team projects in the past. You will have to identify a great middle ground that doesn't make it appear that you are trying too hard. Answer questions as a human rather than trying to be superhuman. For instance, when asked what you would do if your child got ill, don't make it seem like you would put work above your child's health no matter what, because they will obviously know that you are not being truthful. Remember to show your pearly whites on camera. This first impression will make or break the interview!

Be courteous. Address the company properly by saying that you want to work for "XYZ" company for reasons that you outline. Talk about what you know about the company and its achievements. They will appreciate that you did your research. No one wants to hire someone who doesn't even bother to find out what the company does.

Close the interview to win the job. In every interview, whether it's face-to-face or recorded, you need to be sure to make the best first impression. Before ever sitting down in front of the camera know what your residual message is. What skills or traits do you want to get across. This needs to be more than, "I'm the perfect candidate." While most job seekers are aware, it shouldn't be left out, you need to be prepared. From having your references and work samples ready to send over, to questions to follow-up with. Just because you can't physically hand these items off, or ask the questions if you're recording, you need to be ready to provide these things at a moments notice. If you're unsure of what they need, or what the next steps might be, ask! It shows the employer you're interested, organized, and you are ready to get to the next step in the process!

If you make sure to follow these steps to record or give a live video interview, you will have a great chance at getting the job you want. It's time to get comfortable on camera because video interviewing is here to stay!

What will you do to prepare for your next great video interview?

Josh Tolan is the CEO of Spark Hire, which aims to enrich interaction between job seekers and employers by integrating a cloud-based video platform with an online job board. Connect with him and Spark Hire on Facebook and Twitter.